The scene inside the cave was horrifying to everyone.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao and the others clenched their fists, their faces filled with anger.
The substitute members vomited on the spot, their faces pale.
When had they ever witnessed such a scene?
"Stay alert!"
This was the work of an evil soul master, and merely a Soul King-level evil soul master at that, yet they had created such a gruesome sight in the human world.
"Ke ke ke, so it's the esteemed disciples of Shrek Academy..."
The Death Messanger chuckled eerily in the cave.
"If it weren't for you offending the Martial God, we wouldn't have known that such a terrifying existence existed on the Douluo Continent."
"In a way, we should thank you for reducing the casualties of our Holy Church!"
Whether the other evil soul masters lived or died was of no concern to the Death Messanger. His words were merely a taunt aimed at Ma Xiaotao and the others.
Hearing this, everyone clenched their fists, wishing they could tear the Death Messanger apart. He really knew how to hit a sore spot!
"Audacious!"
"You are already courting death!"
The corner of the Death Messanger's eye twitched. Even if he hadn't said those words, anyone with a shred of conscience would have considered him deserving of death.
Whether he said it or not made no difference.
"The Martial God has descended, and the Holy Church lies dormant. In a hundred years, the Holy Church will once again sweep across the Douluo Continent."
"In a hundred years, the Holy Church will be unstoppable!"
"Unfortunately, you won't live to see it!"
"Let me give you a little gift!"
As soon as the Death Messanger finished speaking, the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground suddenly stood up and launched an attack on Ma Xiaotao and the others.
The cultivation levels of these corpses in life hadn't been high, but after being turned into corpse slaves, they no longer felt pain and were further enhanced by "dark energy," greatly increasing their strength.
"Damn Martial God, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had to kill all my subordinates..."
High-level evil soul masters dared not show themselves, and even some low-level ones hesitated to attack civilians, fearing exposure.
If they couldn't attack civilians, surely they could target bandits and outlaws, right?
After all, no one would care if such people lived or died.
This was what the Death Messanger thought, and the low-level evil soul masters shared the same sentiment.
It was precisely because of this mindset that the Douluo Continent became increasingly peaceful and tranquil.
The bandits and outlaws never expected that there were those even more wicked than themselves!
Seeing the corpses rise, Ma Xiaotao's eyes narrowed as she warned, "Be careful of corpse poison. Use long-range attacks as much as possible, and avoid direct contact with these corpses."
"Yes!"
The current Shrek Seven Monsters had some experience dealing with corpse slaves, as they had encountered similar situations before.
As the number of corpse slaves at the cave entrance dwindled, the Death Messanger showed no reaction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Kill, kill!
These corpse slaves were meant to be slain by these "righteous" individuals, to mislead them into thinking that these were his only tricks.
In a short time, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others had dealt with the corpse slaves and regrouped, advancing further into the cave.
Among the substitutes, there was a tall young man who felt an ominous premonition!
"Captain, maybe we should retreat. I can use a fixed soul-guided artillery shell to bomb this place. He'll either be blown to pieces or forced to flee."
"Outside, the open terrain would be to our advantage."
Hearing this, the current Shrek Seven Monsters, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others, frowned slightly.
Was it really necessary to use a fixed soul-guided artillery shell against a Soul King-level evil soul master?
If soul tools were to replace soul masters, what was the point of their cultivation?
"That won't be necessary!"
Ma Xiaotao waved her hand, outright rejecting the suggestion.
Hearing this, the young man opened his mouth, wanting to say more but hesitating.
He couldn't understand whether Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others were truly foolish or just pretending!
Weren't soul-guided artillery shells invented for bombing?
Some tasks were dangerous for soul masters, and using soul tools could reduce that risk.
They were the Shrek Seven Monsters, how could they not understand this?
"Well..."
At this point, the young man paused and took out several invincible shields from his storage soul tool.
"These are level five soul tools, invincible shields. Take them; they'll provide some safety."
Despite his tall and burly appearance, he was quite thoughtful.
He had a bad feeling that the Death Messanger was deliberately luring them deeper into the cave.
Since he couldn't persuade them to change their minds, having invincible shields would at least make them safer.
Seeing this, the others' faces darkened, and they glared at the big guy.
They were the Shrek Seven Monsters, how could they use soul tools?
"I don't need it!"
Ma Xiaotao said while remaining vigilant.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's attitude, Dai Yueheng glanced at the young man and waved his hand, saying, "Since Xiaotao doesn't need it, I don't need it either."
Dai Yueheng had never been inferior to anyone!
If he couldn't demonstrate strength comparable to Ma Xiaotao, how could she ever like him?
With Ma Xiaotao by his side, even without the support of the Zhu family, the position of White Tiger Duke would be his!
"Junior, thank you for the soul tool, but I only trust the sword in my hand!"
Chen Zifeng smiled slightly and declined.
After all, it was the junior's kind gesture, and a proper reason was needed to refuse.
Of the Shrek Seven Monsters, six had refused. Only Ling Luochen, who didn't get along with Ma Xiaotao, accepted the offer.
If Ma Xiaotao didn't need it, then Ling Luochen would take it!
"Ling Luochen, you coward!"
"Hmph, it's the junior's kind gesture. Even if I don't use it, I can still keep it as a memento!"
Ling Luochen pouted and retorted.
Seeing this, the young man trembled, his gaze toward Ma Xiaotao and the others changing.
If it weren't for Shrek Academy's lack of manpower, he wouldn't have had the chance to participate. He never expected such resistance to soul tools.
"Zhu Lu, Dai Huabin... do you want one?"
The substitute members hesitated upon hearing this.
The main team members were strong and confident.
But the substitutes lacked that level of strength.
"Give me one, thank you."
"Zhu Lu, you..."
Dai Huabin's expression changed. He hadn't expected Zhu Lu to embarrass him in front of his elder brother by being the first to accept an invincible shield.
"I..."
After taking the invincible shield, Zhu Lu lowered her head, as if she had done something wrong.
Seeing this, the others became even more hesitant.
"Forget it, we're just in the rear; there's no real danger..."
With this thought, they also declined the invincible shields.
The young man smiled bitterly. He had kindly brought out a large number of invincible shields to share, but no one appreciated it.
These were his master's gifts to him, and he had wanted to share them with everyone, only to be met with disdain.
"Sigh…"